Chapter 10 Chapter nine

The old tacoma was tightly wrapped in a coat, and was walking towards this side from the arched bridge at the other end of the barracks.Leaning on his own ivory-handled cane, he took every step carefully, keeping his body straight.When Ottilie Stern de Welt saw him, she immediately stepped forward to say hello: "How are you, Mr. Tacoma?" "Oh, it's Ottilie! How do you do, are you going to your mother too?" "yes--" "It just rained in the morning, and I was afraid I wouldn't be able to go, but then I decided to go out, and Adele complained about it for a while... But you see, it's all right now, the rain has stopped ..."

"The rain has stopped now, but depending on the weather, it may rain again in a while, and you haven't brought an umbrella yet, Mr. Tacoma." "Well, but you know, boy, I hate umbrellas. I never take them with me when I go out... Just imagine how uncomfortable it is to walk with a roof on your head!" Ottilie smiled back, knowing that Mr. Tacoma couldn't hold a cane in one hand and an umbrella in the other.However, she still said: "Well, but what if it rains? Shall I take you there? Or, call you a carriage?" "God, boy, I think carriages are scarier than umbrellas."

She knew that the bumps in the car would definitely make him feel uncomfortable too. "Anyway, I don't take any carriage, unless it's a big black four-wheeled carriage. Well, well, boy, since you're worried about the rain, give me a ride... I'll be more than happy to accept it. Come on, Hold your little roof over my head. Also, give me your arm." She held him, and he used her arm as a crutch.He walked with one foot deep and one foot shallow, his stiff and straight body was a little staggering, and he seemed to be hobbling, making him look even older. "Why don't you talk, kid!"

"Me... Mr. Tacoma?" "Ok." "You always see everything." "As soon as I heard your voice, I knew you were not in a good mood today." "Well, maybe I'm a little worried... here we are." She rang the doorbell at Mrs. Radkes's.Old Anna heard it in the house, and ran to open the door quickly. "Give me a breather, Anna," said the old man, "and take my coat. I think, take a break...in the drawing room." "It's a bit cold in the house," said old Anna, "and I'll go and light the fire in the drawing room. The mistress never comes downstairs, but there are always people in the drawing room, and besides, Dr. LeLoves is very afraid of the cold." ..."

"Don't light the fire too early, don't light the fire too early," the old man complained dissatisfiedly, "the flame is the devil to us old people..." He slumped wearily in the living room, his hands resting on his ivory-handled walking stick.Anna stepped back in due course, allowing the two of them to sit together for a while. "Come here, boy, where did you just say that? What are you worried about?" "It's kind of... I feel so lonely right now... Tomorrow is the wedding." "Oh, oh, yes. Tomorrow, tomorrow is Lo and Ellie's wedding, well, they're going to be very happy."

"I hope so, I'm sure...but I..." "What's wrong?" "I'm sure going to be morose all day long." "Okay, boy, don't be so depressed." "Who else is there with me? Here I am soon without a child. I sometimes wonder if I should go to England. John and Hugh are there, and Mary is coming back from the East Indies soon, too." "Yes, boy, when one gets old one gets lonelier. Look at me, Ellie's getting married too, and I've got no one around me but Adele. I'm glad at least I can get out Let's go. Come see your mother when I have time, and, and you, and Dr. LeLoves. But, if I need help someday, who will help me in the first place?  … You are still young."

"Me? You said I was young..." "Yes, boy, aren't you young?" "Mr. Tacoma, I'm already 60!" "Are you 60 years old? Are you really 60 years old? Son, did you just tell me that you are 60 years old?" The old man tried his best to count, as if he wanted to find some clues from his chaotic memory.Then, he continued, "No, you must be mistaken. You can't be 60." "Really, I'm not kidding you, Mr. Tacoma, I'm really 60." "Oh, Liche, my child, you are really...so...so old!" He racked his brains again, trying to accept the fact.Then he closes his eyes:

"Sixty." He muttered softly, "More than sixty, more than sixty years..." "No, it's 60 years old, no more, no less." "Yes, yes, 60 years old! My God, boy, are you really sixty? I thought you were forty or fifty at most... I must have been dreaming, the old man had a dream! Sixty! It happened more than sixty years ago..." His voice began to slur, and she didn't seem to understand him. "Did you have any doubts just now?" "When?" He was startled and asked suddenly. "Just now." "just?" "Just when you thought... I was 40."

"What did you say?" "When you thought I was 40!" "Oh, yes, yes... I can hear, my ears are not that bad, my ears have always been good, very good... great..." "He must be wandering," thought Ottilie Sterne. "He's never been like that before." "So you're 60 years old, boy!" The old man's voice calmed down a lot, "Yes, I guess you must be... You see, we old people who are about to die, always feel that you will always be children. Of course, Not children, but young juniors, I think you will always be young...Ah...I didn't expect you to grow old too!"

"Oh yes, I'm old too! The days are numbered." Her voice sounded devastated. "Poor girl!" said old Tacoma, "but you shouldn't keep arguing with Pov... oh no, I mean, Chavelly." "You mean Steyn." "Oh yes, I mean Styne, of course." "I can't stand him." "But you used to get along very well." "Well, yes, it's just that when one is in love...it's different now!" "Yes, yes, you used to get along so well!" The old man insisted, "So, the wedding is tomorrow, right?"

"Yes, tomorrow." "I can't go. I'm so sorry, but..." "Yes, it will be very hard for you to go...but they will come to visit grandma in a moment." "That's great, what a sensible child." "Their wedding may have been a bit too dull, though," said Ottilie, "they're both too stuffy and quiet, not even for something as big as a wedding—they're even refusing to get married in church. " "Yes, but this is their own idea," the old man said casually. "Although I don't understand why they don't want to get married in the church, they must be clear about their choice." "Ellie didn't even prepare a wedding dress, which is so weird...it's impossible for a young girl like Ellie not to like these! Anyway, if it were me, I wouldn't want to get married like that, especially if it was my first wedding in my life But then again, maybe it’s like Luo said, what’s the use of all this red tape? Friends and relatives don’t really care about these things, and besides, it costs a lot of money to do it.” "Ellie could have anything she likes," the old gentleman was also puzzled, "a wedding reception, a ball or whatever...but she said no." "Yeah, the two of you have already discussed how to do this." "Yes, those are their own arrangements." The old man still said casually. "Mr. Tacoma..." Ottilie stammered. "What's the matter, kid?" "I want to ask you something, but I dare not..." "Why not, boy? Do you want something?" "No, not quite, but..." "What's the matter, boy? . . . Is it about the money?" Ottilie sniffed hard, "I don't want to ask you for money at all! It's too embarrassing... Please don't tell Lo that I asked you. But, you see, frankly, I Just sent Hugh a sum of money. And now, now I'm almost penniless... If you hadn't been so kind to me, I would never have dared to ask you. But you know, you always You dote on me so much... Yes, I know, there is always a place for me in the softest part of your heart... If you don't think this request makes you feel disgusted... can you..." "How much do you need, child?" Ottilie glanced at the door, in case the partition had ears: "Only 300 guilders..." "Oh, no problem, child, of course. Come and get it from me tomorrow, okay? Tomorrow night, after the wedding... you can ask me for anything you want in the future, you know? Don't feel embarrassed, whatever you want You can do it whenever you want." "You are so kind to me!" "I have always doted on you very much, because I have always liked your mother very much... So, if you have any questions, you can come to me anytime, son, as long as you think clearly, don't..." "No what, Mr. Tacoma?" The old man's words suddenly became hesitant: "Don't do...don't do reckless things..." "What do you want to say?" "Sixty years, sixty years ago..." He began to mutter to himself, as if falling asleep again.He just sat upright, asleep, with his hands resting on his ivory-handled walking stick.She was a little scared, and ran to the door quietly, opened the door, and shouted softly: "Anna...Anna..." "What's the matter, ma'am?" "Come here... look... Mr. Tacoma seems to be asleep... we'd better stay with him until he wakes up, shall we?" "Oh, poor soul!" said the servant, with sympathy in his voice. "He won't be..." Ottilie's voice changed, like a frightened child. Anna shook her head reassuringly.The old man sat stiffly, asleep in the chair, with his cane in both hands. The two women then sat down and looked at the old man quietly.